Accelerator



` I INVENTOR. EdmUndQSaZLe/f' AApril 8 1924.

E. O. SATHER AccELERAToR Filed Aue. 26 .v 1922 Patented i192@ Ultllvlllill? gar-5 EDMUND O. SATHER, O'E BERKELEY, ICELECtll'it'l, ASSIGNOR TO DORA C. WELCH, 0F OAKLAND, CALIERNIA.

ACCELERATOR.

Application led August 2S, 1922.

To @ZZ 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that l, lnrrnfn 0. Sarnen, a. citizen et the llnited States, residing at Berkeley, in the county et lameda and State ot California. have invented a new and useful Accelerator, or which the tollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in accelerators, and especially in toot-operated accelerators ror automobiles for increasing the speed ot the machine at will.

The majority ot the present automobiles on the market, come equipped with both hand and toot-controlled mechanism ttor operating the engine throttleg but there are some makes of cars that come tarnished with only the hand-controlled means tor the throttle operation.

An operator ot cars of both types, often becomes confused for the moment, thinking that he is driving the car having the combined hand and toot control, while he may be driving the car having the hand-controlled means only, or vice versa. The ino-- ment or two in discovering the difference may result in an accident, especially it the car is travelling fast.

rlhereitore, my prime object is t-o provide an attachment for those motor vehicles having only the hand-controlled means for controlling the speed ot the vehicle, thereby making possible the control ot all vehicles in a similar maner, that is, each car can be equipped with my invention, and thus have the combined hand and toot control",

Another object is to provide my attachment in the form ot a toot-operated accelerator that can be used in conjunction with the hand-operated mechanism, thereby giving the desired toot control as well as the hand control over the engine throttle. Another object is to provide such a toot control that will not interfere with the ordinary hand control. And another object is to enable either the hand control or the toot control to be used at will, without touching the. other. Aind still further object is to provide an accelerator which can be easily installed, and which may be characterized by its extreme simplicity and Jfew parts, and which can connect to the existing means leading from the hand-control throttle rod to the throttle lever of any type of carburetor. Other, and inci? dental objects will appear hereinafter.

Serial No. 584,504.

In the accompanying` one sheet Ot drawings I have illustrat d my invention as applied to a Ford automobile.

Figure l is a perspective view, showing in light lines and partly in elevation and partly in section, a conventional Ford engine and a fragment of the foot board and contiguous parts ci the vehicle, and in heavy lines my toot control attachment positioned with respect thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view, showing how `my Jfoot-control mechanism is connected to the existing lever on t-he throttle rod; the rod and lever being shown in light lines.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective. showing. the parts of the mechanism ot Figure 2 disassembled, but in position for assembly. l

Figure t is a top view oit the parts ot Figure 3 assembled.

In the drawing and the figures thereof; A conventional Ford engine is represented at l. Q being the steering gear post of the vehicle. and 3 the usual hand-control throtle rod, for operating the throttle valve. 4 is the usual lever attached to the throttle rod 3.

Instead of connecting` the throttle-rod lever 4C directly to the carburetor pull-rod 20 as is now customary, l pro-.'idel a member 5, which l secure to the lever et by a bolt 6 entering the usual hole 7 at the end of' the lever; and b v a pair ot lugs 8 which straddle the leverthereby `giving a rigid connection between the two parte. The member 5 is provided with an upstanding portion 9, whose upper edge is formed into a. cam 10, having a stop-post 11 at the upper end thereof, with an adjusting screw l2 therein.

13 is my tootrontrol throttle rod pivota-lly secured to a toot-rod lever 14, which latter is pivotally mounted on member 5 by pivot screw 15. Concentric with the latter screw, a wall having a sloping surface 16 is provided on the underside of lever 14 adapted to slide upon the cam l0 of member 5. Also a stop-shoulder 17 is provided at the extremity oi lever 14 to Contact stoppost 11, which, when in Contact, constitutes the limit of movement of lever 14 and throttle foot rod 13 when the throttle is wide Open r" [A spring 18 ysur rounling the pivot;

reses/'s along the cam.

Lever r-i is connected to the carluiretor throttle lever 19, as by carburetor pull-rod 20, pivoted to both oit the said parts. l cases where the throttle is higher up. near the intare ot the engine` tor example. as shovfn in dotted lines in Figure 1 at 2l, the' connection thereto may be by a cord 2:2 iv spring` 23 to react and hold the vthrottl valve ot'carlniretor closed when Aressi,x ot the toot is released troni the thro-tlrod 137 which extends baci; through i boarl 24 to a foot-button 2i.'

Foot-rod lever le may have series of holes 26, any one oi which may engage the extremity 'of' foot-rod 13 or pull-rod 2O in adjustable relation.; to suit the diiierent lengths of travel the foot-rmJ that may be desiredj and also to p rovide means for a variable range ot throvcs to throttle valve connective means to accommodate any type ol5 throttle arm that may be used on the carburetor of the motor vehicle having my aoeeler tor attached thereto.

ln operation, a pressure of the root on button 25, causes lever '1/1v to oscillate and slide down the cani l0, and this oscillation. through pull-rod 20 or the cord 22. actuates thel throttle. The amount oi' opening of the latter. varying directly ivith the foot-pressure on the button. Similarly? an oscillation oit the handle (not shown) ot the hand control throttle roth rocks the rod 3 and le-v ver l and connected parts, and, by means or" pull rod 20, or cord 22, opens or closes the throttle. Thus, the throttle can be operated by the foot, leavire' the hand tree, or can be operated by the hand. leavingthe foot tree. llhen the 'toot-control is operated, the handcontrol throttle rod and lever remain undisturbed. lllhen pressure on the foot-hnlton released. the parts are returned to their normal positions by spring 18, and i n rin position tor another operation, by either the hand r the toot control.

ln the drawings. l have shown but one iecic lorm ot my invention, but it is to undei toed that the invention may be cmboiilied in other different forms. each be inea species of my invention. and the patprotection that l desire. is all of that vvl ich comes Within the spirit and scope ot what l claim as new, and Which claims are the 'trillovvingV l. il n areelerator comprieine` a loot rod. a lever pivotally suspended at its upper end and connected below its pivotto the toot rod, means whereby pressure through the tootl rod lwill e'fect oscillation oi the lever, ai member extending laterally from said lever at a point below its pivot to connect the lever with a earburete; throttle lever whereby said carbureter throttle lever may be operated by said foot rod, a handcontrolled rod, and means whereby rocking .e hand-controlled rod will oscillate the iiisiz-mentirnied lever.

2, fin accelerator' comprising a lever projevting 'from the hand-control throttle rod, a member rigidly connected to said lever. said mer ber having' an upright portion with a cani edge, a lever pivotally mounted on said member adjacent said upright portion, and extending across and iding on said rain. said last named lever adapted 'for connection to the throttle and to a ioot member,A

23. -Xn accelerator comprising a throttlelever adapted for operation by hand control?. a member rigidly secured to said. lever. a lever pivotally mounted on said ni uber and provided with a spring' adapted to i aintain a normal relation between said oarts. said last named lever connected to Aloot piece and adapted lor operation by foot control. said last named lever adapted iior connection to the Carburetorthrottle lever, vfherehy the throttle may be operated by either hand or toot.

l. The combination of a throttle, a hand- 4ontrolled rod carrying a relatively fixed :even a` foot-rontrolled rod, an oscillatory ver c 2 to said last-named rod. means whereby pressoir" through said toot-con trolled rod will eilect oscillation of the lever. a connection between said last-named lever and the throttleg means to pivotally pport the oscillatory lever upon the fixed er for independent movement substanially parallel therevvitln means lor limiting` 'he independent movement of the oscillatory lever and actuating the same through movement of the hand-rontrolled rod and the relatively fixed lever,y and means 'for yieldably holding' the oscillatory lever in a set relation to the lixed lever.

in accelerator comprising a lever, a ber provided With an upstanding portion Whose upper edge is formed into a sloping; cam, a spring interposed between the said parts and adapted to normally hold the lever to the cam, loot means adapted to push said lever down the slope of said cani against the pressure of said spring, said lever pivotally mounted on the member earrying the said cai i, said member adapted to operatively connect to hand-controlled means and said lever operatively connected to foot-controlled means for operating an engine throttle.

(l. ln combination with the throttle rod and throttle-rod lever of a Ford automobile, a member supporting' an upright having` an inclined top and said member adapted to straddle and be rigidly connected to said lever, a. foot-rod lever adapted to be pivotally supported on said member and said latter lever having an inclined undersur face adapted to slidably engage said inclined top, and foot means adapted to pivotally engage the latter lever, 'the said throttle-rod lever and member and foot-rod lever adapted tc act in unison to open and close the automobile throttle, and said toot-rod lever further adapted to open and close the said throttle independent ot said throttlerod lever and member by the said foot means.

T. ln an accelerator attacl'iment for automobiles, tivo lever members pivotally secured together one above the other, each of said levers having a projecting Wall concenl'rically positioned With respect to said pivot and provided with contacting and registering inclined edges, a coil-spring adapted to bc positioned concentric to and between said pivot and'ivalls, 'the upper lever adapted to slide downwardly on said incline by eX- ternal pressure, and slide upwardly back to position by pressure from said spring.

S. An accelerator comprising a4 lever, hand-controlled means for rocking said lever, a second lever pivotally mounted on the lirst lever, foot-controlled means for rocking the second lever, means Yfor connecting the second lever with. a carbureter throttle, a spring disposed between and connecting the levers, and stop elements on the levers normally held in Contact by the spring whereby the second lever may be rocked through actuation of the hand-controlled means or independently rocked by the footcontrolled means.

9. An accelerator comprising in combination with a carbureter throttle, a hand throttle rod and a lever projecting from said rod.

a member rigidly secured to said lever, a second lever pivotally mounted on said member to oscillatein a plane parallel With the plane of the first-mentioned lever, foot-controlled means for oscillating the secondmentioned lever, a stop on said rigid member, means for yieldably holding the secondmentioned lever against said stop, and means for connecting the second-mentioned lever to the carbureter thro tlc.

l0. The combination with a hand-controlled throttle rod and a lever thereon, of an attaching member adapted to fit against said lever, spaced lugs on said member to span the lever, means for securing said member rigidly to the lever, a second lever pivotally mounted on said attaching member, foot-controlled means for rocking the second lever, means for connecting the second lever with a carbureter throttle, stops on the second lever and the attaching member, and yieldable means for holding said stops normally in contact.

ll. The combination With a hand-controlled throttle rod and a lever thereon, of an attaching member rigidly secured to the lever, a step rising from said member, a second leverpivotally mounted on the attaching member, foot-controlled means for rocking the second lever, means for connecting the second lever with a carbureter throttle, and stops on the second lever at opposite sides or the stop on theV attaching member and adapted to impinge against said stop to limit the independent movement of the second lever.

ln testimony whereof l affix my signature.

EDMUND O. SATHER. 

